Pronunciation guide: IPA symbols, stress and word endings
Vowels
| iː | see | ɪ | sit | e / ɛ | bed | æ | cat |
| ɑː | father | ɒ | hot (UK) | ɔː | law | ʊ | put |
| uː | too | ʌ | cup | ɜː | bird | ə | about |
| eɪ | day | aɪ | my | ɔɪ | boy | aʊ | now |
| əʊ / oʊ | go (UK / US) | ɪə | near | eə | hair | ʊə | tour |
Consonants that look unusual
| θ | thin | ð | this | ʃ | she | ʒ | measure |
| tʃ | church | dʒ | judge | ŋ | sing | j | yes |
p b t d k g f v s z h m n l r w sound as in ordinary English spelling.
Marks
- ˈ main stress, before the stressed syllable: /ˈwɔːtə/ water · ˌ lighter (secondary) stress: /ˌʌndəˈstænd/ understand
- ː a long vowel · (r) an r said only in accents that pronounce it (most American, Scottish, Irish)
Common word endings
- -s / -es (plurals; he/she form of verbs): /s/ after voiceless sounds (cats), /z/ after voiced (dogs), /ɪz/ after s, z, sh, ch, j sounds (buses, watches). Spelling: -es after s, x, z, ch, sh; consonant + y → -ies (city → cities).
- -ed (past): /t/ after voiceless sounds (walked), /d/ after voiced (played), /ɪd/ after t or d (wanted). Spelling: love → loved, stop → stopped, carry → carried.
- -ing: make → making, run → running, see → seeing.
- Irregular: go, went, gone · be, was, been · see, saw, seen · man → men · child → children · mouse → mice.
- Older (King James) forms: -eth = -s (he loveth = he loves) · -est with “thou” (thou lovest) · spake = spoke.
English Dictionary · 107,383 entries · Sources & licences
Q 438 entries
Page 1 of 3: q – quasiparticle
- q numeral, determiner, noun, proper nounThe seventeenth numeral symbol of the English alphabet, called cue and written in the Latin script.
- Q fever nounAn infectious disease, resembling influenza, caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii (previously classified as Rickettsia burnetii).
- qabala proper nounAlternative spelling of Kabbalah.
- qabalah proper nounAlternative spelling of Kabbalah.
- qabalistic adjectiveAlternative spelling of cabalistic.
- qabbala proper nounAlternative form of Kabbalah.
- qabbālāh proper nounAlternative form of Kabbalah.
- Qaddafi proper nounAlternative form of Gaddafi.
- Qadhafi proper nounAlternative form of Gaddafi.
- qadi noun(Islam, law) A judge who is trained in and practices Islamic law.
- Qaeda proper nounClipping of al-Qaeda.
- Qandahar proper nounAlternative spelling of Kandahar.
- qat nounAlternative form of khat, a psychoactive stimulant obtained from the plant Catha edulis.
- Qatar proper nounA country in West Asia in the Middle East. Official name: State of Qatar. Capital: Doha.
- Qatari noun, adjectiveA person from Qatar or of Qatari descent.
- QCD proper noun, noun(planetology) Initialism of Quasi Circular Depression.
- QED noun(physics) (Partial) initialism of quantum electrodynamics.
- qepiq noun100 qepiq equal 1 manat in Azerbaijan
- qi proper noun(historical) An ancient Chinese duchy, and later kingdom, under the Zhou dynasty
- Qiang nounAn ethnic group in China, living mainly in a mountainous region in the northwestern part of Sichuan on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plat…
- Qiangic adjectiveBelonging to or pertaining to a group of related Sino-Tibetan languages, spoken in southwestern China and Tibet, which include Ersu and the…
- qibla noun(Islam) The direction in which Muslims face while praying, currently determined as the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca.
- qin noun, proper noun(music) Any of several traditional Chinese musical instruments, most commonly the seven-stringed instrument more specifically called the gu…
- qindarka nounplural of qindarkë
- qing noun, proper nounA sounding stone, a Chinese musical instrument.
- Qing dynasty proper nounThe last dynasty of China, lasting from 1644 to 1912 C.E.
- qintar noun(plural: qindarka or qintars) An Albanian coin equal to one hundredth of a lek.
- qoph nounThe nineteenth letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others).
- quaalude proper noun, noun(pharmacology) A proprietary name for methaqualone.
- quack noun, verb, interjection, adjectiveThe vocalisation made by a duck.
- quack grass nounAlternative form of quackgrass.
- quack-quack nounchild's word for a duck
- quackery noun(law, medicine, uncountable) The practice of fraudulent medicine, usually in order to make money or for ego gratification and power; health…
- quackgrass noun(chiefly Canada, US) Couch grass (a species of grass, Elymus repens).
- quad noun, adjective, verb, proper noun(letterpress typography) A blank metal block used to fill short lines of type.
- Quadragesima proper noun(Christianity) Synonym of Lent.
- quadrangle noun(geometry) Synonym of quadrilateral (“a polygon with four sides”).
- quadrangular adjective, nounHaving the shape of a quadrangle; in the shape of a quadrangle.
- quadrant nounOne of the four sections made by dividing an area with two perpendicular lines.
- quadrantanopia noun(ophthalmology) The loss of vision in one or more quadrants of the field of view.
- quadraphonic adjective(of a sound system) Employing four independent channels or speakers.
- quadraphony nounSound, in a sound system, originating from four speakers.
- quadrasonic adjectivequadraphonic
- quadrate adjective, noun, verbHaving four equal sides, the opposite sides parallel, and four right angles; square.
- quadratic adjective, nounSquare-shaped.
- quadratic equation noun(algebra) A polynomial equation of the second degree; an equation that can be rearranged in standard form as ax²+bx+c=0, where x is an unkn…
- quadratics nounplural of quadratic
- quadrature nounThe process of making something square; squaring.
- quadrennium nounA period of 4 years, particularly (historical) the sets of four years in the ancient Egyptian and Greek calendars.
- quadric noun, adjective(mathematics) A surface or curve whose shape is defined in terms of a quadratic equation.
- quadriceps noun(anatomy) A muscle having four heads, especially the large extensor at the front of the thigh.
- quadriceps femoris noun(anatomy) A group of four thigh muscles, including the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis muscles.
- quadrilateral noun, adjective(geometry) A polygon with four sides.
- quadrille noun, verb, adjective(dance) A dance originating in the mid-1700s with four couples forming a square, rather much like the modern square dance.
- quadrillion numeral, noun(US, modern British and Australian, short scale) A thousand trillion (logic: 1,000 × 1,000⁴): 1 followed by fifteen zeros, 10¹⁵.
- quadrillionth adjective, nounThe ordinal form of the number one quadrillion.
- quadripara nounA female who has borne four offspring.
- quadripartite adjective, nounDivided into four parts.
- quadriphonic adjectiveAlternative form of quadraphonic.
- quadriplegia nounParalysis from the neck down.
- quadriplegic adjective, nounOf, related to, or suffering from quadriplegia.
- quadrisonic adjectivequadraphonic
- quadrivium noun(education, historical) The higher division of the seven liberal arts in the Middle Ages, composed of geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and …
- quadroon noun, adjective(dated, chiefly historical) A person considered three-fourths white, having one non-white grandparent.
- quadrumvirate nounSynonym of quattuorvirate.
- quadruped nounA four-footed or four-legged animal.
- quadrupedal adjectiveHaving four feet.
- quadruple adjective, verb, nounBeing four times as long, as big or as many of something.
- quadruple time noun(music, music theory) A time signature indicating four beats to the bar.
- quadruplet noun(music) A tuplet of four notes.
- quadruplex adjective, noun, verbHaving four components.
- quadruplicate adjective, noun, verbhaving four parts
- quadrupling nounAn act of quadrupling.
- quaestor noun(historical) An ancient Roman official responsible for public revenue and other financial affairs.
- quaff verb, nounTo drink or imbibe with vigour or relish; to drink copiously; to swallow in large draughts.
- quaffer nounOne who quaffs.
- quag noun(obsolete) Quagmire; marsh; bog.
- quagga nounA southern-African subspecies of plains zebra, Equus quagga quagga, which went extinct in 1883. The upper parts of the animal were reddish …
- quaggy adjective, proper nounResembling a quagmire; marshy, miry.
- quagmire noun, verbA swampy, soggy area of ground.
- quahaug noun, verb(dated) Alternative form of quahog (“edible hard-shell clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, used in chowders”).
- quahog noun, verbAn edible clam with a hard shell found along the Atlantic Coast of North America, from species Mercenaria mercenaria, formerly Venus mercen…
- Quai d'Orsay proper nounA quay and street in Paris, France, the home of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- quail verb, noun, proper noun(intransitive) To waste away; to fade, to wither.
- quaint adjective, noun(obsolete) Of a person: cunning, crafty.
- quaintly adverbIn a quaint manner; oddly; strangely.
- quaintness noun(obsolete) Cunning; craftiness.
- quake noun, verb, proper nounA trembling or shaking.
- quaker noun(entomology) Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Pithecops.
- quaker gun noun(idiomatic, chiefly US, weaponry, historical) A nonfunctional imitation of a gun or an artillery piece, typically made of wood and usually …
- Quakerism nounThe belief system of the members of the Religious Society of Friends, an ostensibly Christian religious denomination that began in England …
- quakers proper nounThe Religious Society of Friends.
- quaking aspen nounAn American aspen (Populus tremuloides), the leaves of which have flattened petioles that cause them to tremble in the breeze.
- qualification nounThe act or process of qualifying for a position, achievement etc.
- qualified adjectiveMeeting the standards, requirements, and training for a position.
- qualifier nounOne who qualifies for something, especially a contestant who qualifies for a stage in a competition.
- qualify verb, noun(transitive) To describe or characterize something by listing its qualities.
- qualifying nounA qualification or added condition.
- qualitative adjective, nounOf descriptions or distinctions based on some quality rather than on some quantity.
- qualitative analysis noun(chemistry) The determination of the elements, functional groups or compounds present in a sample.
- qualitatively adverbIn a qualitative manner.
- quality noun(countable) The kind, condition, and/or the set of characteristics of something, as opposed to the quantity of something.
- quality control nounA control, such as inspection or testing, introduced into an industrial or business process to ensure quality.
- quality of life nounThe general well-being of someone, and the degree to which someone's daily experience is enjoyable or unenjoyable.
- qualm noun, verbA feeling of apprehension, doubt, fear etc.
- quamash nounDated form of camas.
- quamassia noungenus of scapose herbs of North and South America having large edible bulbs
- quandang nounAlternative form of quandong.
- quandary noun, proper nounA state of not knowing what to decide; a state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement; a dilemma, a …
- quandong noun, proper nounA small southern Australian shrub (Santalum acuminatum) or its edible red fruit.
- quandong nut nounThe edible seed of the quandong.
- quango noun(UK, government, often derogatory) An organization that, although financed by a government, acts independently of it.
- quantal adjective(physics) Of or pertaining to a quantum.
- quantic noun(mathematics) A homogeneous polynomial in two or more variables.
- quantifiability noun(uncountable) The condition of being quantifiable
- quantifiable adjective, nounCapable of being quantified.
- quantification nounThe act of quantifying.
- quantifier noun(grammar) A word, such as all or many, that expresses the quantity of a related noun.
- quantify verb(transitive) To assign a quantity to.
- quantisation noun(British spelling) Alternative spelling of quantization.
- quantise verb(British spelling) Alternative spelling of quantize.
- quantitative adjectiveOf a measurements and data types: based on some quantity or number rather than on some quality.
- quantitative analysis noun(chemistry) The determination of the amounts of an element or compound in a sample.
- quantitatively adverbIn a quantitative manner.
- quantity nounA fundamental, generic term used when referring to the measurement (count, amount) of a scalar, vector, number of items or to some other wa…
- quantization noun(uncountable, signal processing) The process of approximating a continuous signal by a set of discrete symbols or integer values
- quantize verb(transitive, physics) To limit the number of possible values of a quantity, or states of a system, by applying the rules of quantum mechani…
- quantized adjective(physics) Expressed or existing only in terms of discrete quanta; limited by the restrictions of quantization (i.e. measurement).
- quantong proper nounA locality in the Rural City of Horsham, western Victoria, Australia.
- quantum noun, adjective(now chiefly South Asia or law) The total amount of something; quantity.
- quantum chromodynamics noun(quantum mechanics) A quantum field theory in particle physics which describes the strong interaction of quarks and gluons employing the co…
- quantum electrodynamics noun(physics) The study of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with electrically charged matter within the framework of relativity and…
- quantum field theory noun(quantum mechanics) A theory of quantum fields; the result of applying second quantization to Classical Relativistic Field Theory.
- quantum jump noun, verbSynonym of quantum leap.
- quantum leap noun, verb(quantum mechanics) The discontinuous change of the state of an electron in an atom or molecule from one energy level to another.
- quantum mechanics noun(physics) The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes proba…
- quantum physics noun(physics) quantum mechanics
- quantum theory noun(physics) A theory developed in the early 20th century, according to which nuclear and radiation phenomena can be explained by assuming tha…
- Quaoar proper nounthe Tongva god of creation.
- Quapaw noun, proper nounAny member of a Native American people who once lived in the Arkansas river valley.
- quarantine noun, verb, proper nounA period of 40 days, particularly
- quarantined adjectiveIn quarantine; isolated.
- quark noun(particle physics) In the Standard Model, one of a number of elementary subatomic particles having fractional electric charge that forms ma…
- quarrel noun, verb(countable) A dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal).
- quarreler nounOne who quarrels or is disposed to do so. An arguer or disputer.
- quarreller nounAlternative spelling of quarreler.
- quarrelsome adjectiveArgumentative; fond of or prone to quarreling.
- quarrelsomeness nounThe quality of being quarrelsome; an argumentative nature.
- quarrier nounSomebody who works in a quarry.
- quarry noun, verb(mining) A site for mining stone, such as limestone, or slate.
- quarrying nounThe extraction of material from a quarry.
- quarryman nounA man involved in quarrying (mining for stone).
- quart noun, adjective, adverb, verb, proper nounA unit of liquid capacity equal to two pints; one-fourth (quarter) of a gallon. Equivalent to 1.136 liters in the UK and 0.946 liter (liqui…
- quartan noun, adjective(medicine, historical) A fever whose symptoms recur every four days.
- quarter noun, adjective, verb, proper noun(in general sense) Each of four equal parts into which something can be divided; a fourth part.
- quarter crack nounA crack in a horse's forefoot; a sand crack.
- quarter day nounEach of the four days customarily regarded as starting a new quarter year, formerly established as a time for rents and other payments to b…
- quarter horse nounAn American breed of horse originally bred for short-distance racing.
- quarter note noun(Canada, US, music) A musical note one beat long in 4/4 time.
- quarter rest noun(music) A rest of the same duration as a quarter note.
- quarter section nounSynonym of homestead (“a parcel of land in the interior of North America, usually 160 acres (one-fourth of a section)”)
- quarter sessions nounplural of quarter session
- quarter tone noun(music) The musical interval equal to one quarter of a tone or 1/24 of an octave; half a semitone.
- quarter-century nounA period of twenty-five years.
- quarter-circle nouna quarter of the circumference of a circle
- quarter-hour noun(time) quarter of an hour; period of time equal to 15 minutes; a quarter.
- quarter-tone nounAlternative spelling of quarter tone.
- quarter-vine nounwoody flowering vine of southern United States; stems show a cross in transverse section
- quarterback noun, verb(American football, Canadian football) An offensive back whose primary job is to pass the ball in a play.
- quarterdeck noun(nautical) The aft part of the upper deck of a ship; normally reserved for officers
- quarterfinal noun(sports) One of the four competitions in a knockout tournament whose winners go on to play in the two semifinals.
- quartering noun, adjectiveA division into four parts.
- quarterlight nounAlternative spelling of quarter light.
- quarterly adjective, noun, adverbOccurring once every quarter year (three months); taking place quarter-yearly.
- quartermaster noun, verb(military) An officer whose duty is to provide quarters, provisions, storage, clothing, fuel, stationery, and transportation for a regiment…
- quartermaster general noun(military) The staff officer in charge of supplies for an entire army, and also in charge of quartermaster units and personnel.
- quartern noun(archaic) A quarter part; one fourth.
- quarters noun(plural only, originally military) Housing, barracks, or other habitation or living space.
- quarterstaff nounA wooden staff with an approximate length between 2 and 2.5 meters, sometimes tipped with iron, used as a weapon in rural England during th…
- quartervine nounwoody flowering vine of southern United States; stems show a cross in transverse section
- quartet nounA group of four people or things, particularly
- quartette nounAlternative spelling of quartet.
- quartic adjective, noun(mathematics) Of or relating to the fourth degree.
- quartile noun, verb(statistics) Any of the three points that divide an ordered distribution into four parts, each containing a quarter of the population.
- quarto noun(paper) A size of paper (7.5"-10" x 10"-12.5" or 190-254 x 254-312 mm). Formed by folding and cutting one of several standard sizes of pape…
- Quartus proper nounA proper name in the King James New Testament (at ROM 16:23).
- quartz noun(mineralogy) The most abundant mineral on the earth's surface, of chemical composition silicon dioxide, SiO₂. It occurs in a variety of for…
- quartz crystal noun(electronics) A small crystal of quartz accurately cut in certain directions so that it can be vibrated at a particular frequency, to produ…
- quartz glass nounSynonym of fused quartz.
- quartz lamp nounA mercury vapor lamp consisting of an ultraviolet light source, and enclosed by an envelope made from quartz rather than glass, which trans…
- quartzite noun(mineralogy) A metamorphic rock from sandstone, consisting of interlocking grains of quartz.
- quartzose adjectivePertaining to quartz; made of quartz.
- quasar noun(astronomy) An extragalactic object, starlike in appearance, that is among the most luminous and (putatively) the most distant objects in t…
- quash verbTo defeat decisively, to suppress.
- quasi adjectiveResembling or having a likeness to the named thing.
- quasi-ngo nouna quasi nongovernmental organization; an organization that is financed by the government yet acts independently of the government
- quasi-religious adjectiveresembling something that is religious
- quasi-royal adjectivehaving the power but not the rank or title of a king
- quasi-stellar radio source nounAlternative form of quasi-stellar radio-source.
- quasiparticle noun(particle physics) Any entity that has some characteristics of a distinct particle, but comprises a grouping of multiple particles